Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gideon]

I havn't been on the site for a while. i tried to do a search but nothing came up. anyway if this is old new please disregard..

I just heard about this the other day. I am concerned about this because i am from the same town as these two guys.. and it just so happens that i got into a confrontation the other day, which could have ended bad. But i decided to walk away.

English teachers jailed in Korea plead guilty
Last updated Apr 13 2005 02:15 PM ADTCBC News

PORT HAWKESBURY, N.S. – Two men from Cape Breton will remain in a South Korean jail for at least two more weeks before they're sentenced for assault.

All comments would be appreciated.. thanks
Jason Beaton and Scott Thompson, from Port Hawkesbury, pleaded guilty Monday in Seoul. They were arrested March 11 after a fight outside a bar in that city.

Beaton's family received a phone call Tuesday night from a lawyer representing the pair. The men could be put on probation or sentenced to up to two years in prison, the lawyer said.

Beaton and Thompson claim they acted in self-defence. But under Korean law, both sides in a fight are considered aggressors.

The two men are in South Korea to teach English.


Cape Breton pair in Korea out on bail
Last updated Apr 25 2005 12:42 PM ADT
CBC News SYDNEY, N.S. – Two men from Port Hawkesbury who were involved in a fight outside a South Korean bar are out of jail while they wait to be sentenced.

Scott Thompson and Jason Beaton will be back in court Thursday. Two weeks ago, they pleaded guilty to charges similar to assault for their role in a fight March 11 in Seoul.

Their lawyer, Scott Chung, said it's rare for anyone in South Korea to be released from jail before sentencing. He sees it as a sign the judge might go easy on the two English teachers.

Thompson and Beaton maintain they acted in self-defence. But since both parties in a fight are seen as aggressors under Korean law, that's no defence.

Chung said his clients pleaded guilty in the hope of showing the judge they're taking responsibility for their actions, which could mean a fine instead of a jail sentence.

"That would give them the choice of either remaining in Korea or returning to Canada on their own," he said.

The best-case scenario for Thompson and Beaton, Chung added, is a fine, plus time served and probation. He didn't say how much money the pair could be fined.

The fight between the Canadians and three Korean men can be blamed on cultural differences and the language barrier, Chung said. A misunderstanding escalated into a confrontation.

He said his clients have already paid a settlement to the Korean man who sustained the worst injuries in the fight.

In an e-mail to friends and family after his release Friday, Beaton said he wasn't even allowed to see Thompson during this "harrowing" experience.

"While I do have to own that we definitely could have used better judgment concerning our alcohol consumption, I also feel like we are victims here as much as anyone," he wrote.

Beaton is also amazed by the outpouring of support. Several fundraisers have been held in Port Hawkesbury to raise money to help cover the pair's legal costs.

[Captain Corea]

Does anyone remember that 80s hit "The Freaks come out at night!" ?

Well, although I won't come straight out and say no one should be out drinking at that time, the truth of the matter is, in any country, if you're out late drinking you best be careful.

[rapier]

Self-defence is a tricky and risky business in korea. to be honest i feel like getting in a brawl every time someone pushes in front of me in a qeue.

But in korea, fistfighting is a heinous crime worthy of 2 years imprisonment, and being a foreigner is a crime in itself. Koreans start the fight, yet are never penalised, and the foreigner is the one who has to pay costs because he assaulted a Korean. Their racist xenophibic siege mentality immediately goes into overdrive: "a foreigner assaulted a korean!" and the hysteria goes nuts.

They never for a moment consider that their own bad manners are the cause of the irritation.

Imagine if western countries jailed people for brawling? There'd be almost nobody left walking on the street.

[turtlepi1]

Anyone that has been to a bar in Port Hawkesbury on a Saturday night cannot believe these guys are by any stretch of the imagination innocent. (Even if they were)

[Gideon]

I couldn't agree with you more rapier..

Early this week i was confronted by a young korean guy about 26 who wanted to pick a fight with me, because i was in a rush and was frustrated with all the people around me i said &*@#$ people.. anyway he heard me and got really offended. I told him it wasn't pointed directly at him or koreans but just an expression used in general.. anyway he got pissed and wanted to fight.. hell he even threw a kick into the air.. in the end it was me who walked away, cause i had little choice because a crowd was n beginning to form... but had this incident happened in a quiet undisclosed place with few people around i would have popped in a second as soon as he threw that kick at me. but i guess it was good that i didn't do anything. I remember him saying how he doesn't like americans ( cause i guess he didnt realize i was canadian till i told him, after the fact) and i said, look at your shirt you got the words "american eagle" written on it.. i said, you may not like me or what i said but the simple fact of the matter is that you need english in order for your country to be economically strong in the global market.. end of discussion and i walked away..

[rapier]

Personally I think its unwise to get involved in any fight unless you have one or two friends there to act as witnesses.
if you're on your own, every stranger will simply take the Koreans side of the story if the cops get involved.

As for that dude taking offence at your mumbled swearword, imagine how often you'd be fighting if you tok offence every time you overheard koreans saying something derogatory about waeguks, whenever you were around.
that idiot probably thought he was being a hero by picking on a lone foreigner, who obviously can't speak Korean, while surrounded by hundreds of his patriotic countrymen.

Korea is a totally one-sided country, completely unable to see the other persons point of view in anything:

[chiaa]

So if both sides are guilty no matter what in Korea and these two guys pleaded guilty to a crime, how about the Korean fellows? Did they have to go to court? Did they plead guilty?

[The Lemon]

[Homer]

Late night drinking..always a winning choice when it comes to avoiding fights.

[Badmojo]

You got to admit.... Korea's rules are inane. Is there a better word than that? Imcomprehensible?

If somebody picks a fight with you, someone attacks you, someone assaults you, then sometimes you can't walk away. You have to fight. And lets say you put your man down and walk away. Now you're in the wrong. You did nothing but defend yourself, but you're paying fines and going to jail.

The apologists sound rather mute on this one.

[Gideon]

had we been in a place where few people were around, i would have beat him to a bloody pulp. I was the one who had to walk away feeling like a coward.. i hope i don't see that guy again. But um sure if the police did get involved i am 110% sure i would have been jailed and he would have walked away.. in times like these you need to video tape the event, tho i still be lucky if i didnt go to jail.. they are still in the caveman days when i comes to certain aspects of this country... they just dont get it!!

[Bozo Yoroshiku]

[Bozo Yoroshiku]

[Billy Pilgrim]

[Leslie Cheswyck]